Love these Jeff Gordon Pepsi Max videos
Posted By RichC on February 27, 2014
Check out the full post over at Jalopnik.com.
America is ready for a William F. Buckley revival
Posted By RichC on February 27, 2014
It is hard to believe that it has been 6 years since the death of the renown conservative thinker and writer William F. Buckley; where have the years gone?
I posted back in 2008, that his work played a significant role in my life when it came to my political philosophy, business, personal interests and even some of my personality. Along with a handful of other people, I credit … and blame … him for the direction and path I took in life.
My parents of course were influential, my grandfather (namesake) who died before I was 10, a singer/songwriter and sailor (JB) encouraged my socially conscientious, a youth pastor (MK) who taught me to sail as a teenager and helped instill my faith and values … and William F. Buckley, Jr … more from 2/27/2008
Mr. Buckley, you are missed, but fondly remembered by those of us who adopted the descriptor “Buckley Conservative” in the 1970’s and helped spur the Reagan Revolution of the 80’s. Conservatives believe in traditional American values such as personal freedom, smaller government, lower taxes, free markets, and a strong military … the opposite of what we see happening under an Obama administration today. Ronald Reagan in particular embodied these philosophies and achieved peace through strength in defeating communism. The United States came out of its slumber during the Reagan presidency and the result was the longest period of peacetime prosperity in our history. This solid foundation laid the groundwork for entrepreneurs to create jobs and build businesses. Unleashing free enterprise and our capital markets helped create unsurpassed expansion and technological advancements that made and currently still makes America and her people exceptional.
For those who don’t know, or haven’t hear William F. Buckley articulate conservative philosophies, here’s a 3+ minute snippet from a debate with George McGovern at Southeast Missouri State University in 1997.
| Snippet of William F. Buckley debating George McGovern (mp3) | 5/10/1997 |
Study a little history and look at what you see in Washington DC today as you ponder our nation’s future before you vote for representatives later this year.
click image for larger
Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers still love to travel by van
Posted By RichC on February 26, 2014
With the popularity continuing to grow for Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers, it is great to know that they still remember “the Van Session” as a way to share their music. Check out their Van Session version (below) of “Dire Wolf” — Grateful Dead – Workingman’s Dead album – 1970 — on the way to a Salt Lake City appearance this week.
Do CEOs know what to do with billions in cash?
Posted By RichC on February 25, 2014
As the financial markets continue to flirt with record levels again, insiders are looking at where cash is being put to use, or not. Fox Business mentioned this morning that analyst expect much of the sideline cash to head towards R & D even as mergers and acquisition deals are garnering most of the headlines (ie. $19B Facebook/Whatsapp deal).
Although investors appreciate well manage companies with strong balance sheets, they also want to know that their investment is “working.” When companies sit for years on piles of cash, one wonders if management has an appropriate plan to continue growing? Berkshire Hathaway is probably not in the same boat with the other big five cash rich companies since they primarily buy good companies at good prices, at least that has proven to have been their track record, so I’ll exclude them from criticism … but the other four are focused on improving and selling products and services. When they sit on their hands, one wonders if Apple, GE, Microsoft and Google using their cash “productively” enough?
The priceonomics of using a Sodastream soft drink maker
Posted By RichC on February 24, 2014
In my pursuit of cheaper soft drinks it has become my terminus to save a buck and still make decent tasting cola. I continue to tweak my Sodastream setup and 
can confirm that my tastebuds have now fully adjusted to self-blended Diet Coke … and that I’m addicted (not so good). Currently the five gallon cube of syrup ($60) being used with a tap (photo below) is stored in my cold garage, but I will move it to the refrigerator when the temperatures warm.
Ingredient number two is the CO2 … or carbonator. The best option would be to install a large commercial CO2 tank at home, but then that would defeat my end goal of “no-waste/no-hauling” of soft drinks cans/bottles on and off our sailboat. This can hauling is a hassle when “walking” to get groceries from a marina, but becomes an even a bigger hassle when on a mooring or anchored where the logistics require ferrying cans or plastic bottles to and from Encore by dinghy. Trash disposal is difficult enough in some locations, so reducing our waste to a minimum is a good idea too. So … for CO2 I’ve adapted the Sodastream to accept paintball sized tanks (photo below) which can be refilled over and over. My plan is a buy a few more tanks and recharge a few at a time as I find refill locations. Currently the best dollar for dollar size seems to be the common 20 oz aluminum tank. I purchased a new tank for $16.95 with free shipping to add to my smaller 12 oz bottles (2 used for $20). I like the 20 oz tanks because they can be refilled at Dick’s Sporting Goods for $3.99 ($2.99 for 12 oz), but if I could find inexpensive 24 ounce tanks I’d buy a couple (they refill for $4.49). Any real savings will come in finding a good tasting, but less expensive cola syrup (Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi) … although I do enjoy the Diet Lemon-Lime Sodastream flavor (syrup cost is half that of Diet Coke).
For those of you mathematically inclined, you’re probably already mashing the numbers … but here’s what I came up with (still not a “deal”).
The amazing and resourceful wild bottlenose dolphins
Posted By RichC on February 23, 2014
People have been fascinated with the intelligence of dolphins and this amazing video of a bottlenose dolphin coming up to a diver during a night diver in seek of help will continue that fascination. Watching this and knowing what “man” does to them has me wondering who is really the most humane?
Is Atlantic White Shark Conservancy sending a wrong message?
Posted By RichC on February 23, 2014
Ocean and marine life preservation is a noble cause and something I’ve supported and have been part of since the 1970’s, but I’m not fond of sending misleading messages.
The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s ecommerce “shop” website is using an attention getting image (artwork) portraying a diver swimming face to face with a Great White Shark … an encounter few would advise. There are better ways to promote research, tracking and awareness than including this kind of image considering what thrill seekers might take away from such an image (we already have enough “unprovoked” shark attacks).
Honey Badger, Richard Jenkin’s high tech sailing drone
Posted By RichC on February 22, 2014
A friend of mine sent me a great Wired article this week that twisted together sailing, aviation and robotic technology … 
very interesting? There are driverless cars and military drones, but Richard Jenkins has plugged a brain into a high-tech sailboat called Honey Badger, kind of a big high-tech Snoopy Sloop … see my 2012 post.
Richard Jenkins started his career drafting boats in New England and detoured creating land-based sailing crafts with one called the Greenbird which broke land-windpowered records by “sailing” 126mph. The story continues seeing Jenkins connecting with Google cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin in a “kite design project” and returning to boat design using the unique “wing with with a tail” design used on Greenbird. Jenkins designed a 19 foot Saildrone with an onboard computer controlling the sail and navigation. The sailboat has already completed a trip from California to Hawaii and now has more ambitious voyages planned.
Jenkins realized that the wing he’d evolved for the Greenbird would be perfect on an oceangoing drone. Its tail simplified the process of sailing so much that even a robot could handle it. The bot would need only three moving parts: the elevator-like tab on the tail, the rudder, and the free-rotating wing itself. What’s more, only two of those parts—the tail tab and the rudder—would need power. A few off-the-shelf solar panels would provide more than enough. Jenkins knew from long experience that the fewer parts there were, the fewer parts there were to break.
Tech Friday: Adding Undo Send to your Gmail
Posted By RichC on February 21, 2014
Have you ever clicked the “send” button after typing a Gmail and realized you forgot to include something or made a mistake? Maybe addressed the email wrong … or written something that you regret saying?
Well Google Labs has a simple, but limited way, to “unSend” that email IF you enable the Undo Send Lab and use Gmail from the browser. It can give you up to 30 seconds* to “Undo” the send (depending on your settings*). Give it a try.
- Click the gear icon
gear in the top right.
- Select Settings.
- Click the Labs tab.
- Find the "Undo Send" lab and select the Enable radio button.
- Click Save Changes at the bottom of the page.
Select the amount of time you have to undo sending a message by clicking the gear icon, and finding the "Undo Send:" section in the General tab of your Settings.
Reflecting on my personal journal and blog through the years
Posted By RichC on February 20, 2014
Those who are regular readers of My Desultory Blog realize that besides posting commentary on newsy items, be it tech, cars, aviation, politics or whatever, that I also include personal entries and photos relating to my family. This blog, now 4000 posts, is a continuation of a journal that I started in 1977 as a way to improve (fell short) and become more comfortable putting words to paper. Those entries (now these “posts”) were and are a place to record the things that cross my mind at a particular moment in time. The early paper based journals had “fancy” covers (I’m chuckling as I look at the photo above) that illustrated my lifetime passion for sailing and desire to live a somewhat unconventional lifestyle, at least that was the plan before I met Brenda. About as close as I came to exploring the world by sailboat was living on our first boat Brenich, pre-kids in the 1980s.
Now that things are digital, it is much easier to include photos and video than when journaling to paper, but occasionally I sandwiched a few snapshots (often black and white) between the pages … or clipped articles from the newspaper. Take a look at this clipping from an early Jimmy Buffett/J.D. Souther Miami University Concert Board page with the “outrageously priced” tickets: $6.50 and $7.50! 
I personally found that one of the more interesting additions to my early journals were the “road trips” taken with my college friends. Besides noting observations that are somewhat embarrassing, I recorded all the costs we shared to take our many inexpensive trips. From my freshman year in college on I traveled to different parts of Florida over Christmas break. The first year it was with my old high school buddy Charlie (Kamikaze) in his VW Beetle and we were really cheap – total trip food, gas, sailboat rental to the Keys and back cost us a whopping $68 a piece (fuel fills were like $4.00!) In subsequent years, trips weren’t much more 
expensive, although our thirstier cars were far less frugal, minus the college graduation trip with Jerry in my 1977 Honda Civic (photo left – it was small and had 12″ wheels!)
I traveled with a combination of friends and roommates … I’m thinking about Dallas, Don, Doug, Russell, Mark concluding with Kevin, Jerry and Jeff during my final days of being single … my bachelor party (below). What great times … I wouldn’t have changed a thing.
Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee
- lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
- digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.